The Beer Nut: Other nut checks out Wachusett's Brew Yard

Wednesday

Dec 27, 2017 at 10:00 AMDec 27, 2017 at 11:53 AM

Nancy Olesin @WickedLocalArts

Norman Miller had a flat tire Tuesday morning and couldn't file his Beer Nut column. As far as I can remember, this is the first time he's missed a deadline in 11 years, so as the longtime editor of his popular column, I felt it is my duty to step in and write something for the column even with my limited knowledge of beer.

I really never had that much interest in craft beer until I started editing Norman's weekly column in 2006. I have to admit at the time I was a little jealous that our editor said we were going to give him a modest monthly budget to buy beer so he could write about it. But after reading so many Beer Nut columns over the years, and making a few trips to some of the breweries he's recommended, I think I'm starting to learn a little about beer and understand what Norm's talking about when he says a beer is "hoppy," has "notes of chocolate," or has "juicy flavors." I think I pay more thoughtful attention to the taste of beer now.

And, I've tried beers that Norm has written about that have things in it like oysters and bacon, or are aged in bourbon barrels and kind of knock your socks off. Just don't ask me to try a beer made with yeast found in some guy's beard. Norm wrote about it back in 2012. Yes, that really is a thing, and it is just gross.

My favorite Beer Nut columns are usually about nearby breweries. I like the idea of being able to pop into a place like Wormtown Brewery on Shrewsbury Street in Worcester - which once a year brews a coconut chocolate stout named "Norm" that has Miller's likeness and name on the bottle - and having a taste of some of the beers Norm describes in his column. Grab the antipasto at the neighboring Volturno, a favorite restaurant of mine. Jack's Abby right here in Framingham has great beers, too, wonderful food and a fun vibe. Their wood-fired pizza is to die for, but the place is a little noisy. I like to be able to carry on a conversation with people when I'm enjoying a beer.

Last week, The Beer Nut column had information about Wachusett Brewing Company's new indoor "Brew Yard," and since my family members who were home for the holidays had expressed interest in visiting a brewery, we headed to Westminster to check it out.

It was a snowy day and we'd been shoveling, so a cold beer seemed really inviting. A visit to the brewery would also be a great idea after a day ski trip to Wachusett Mountain, which is just 5 miles away. They have some Wachusett beers on tap in the lounge at the mountain, Country Pale Ale, Bella Czech Pils, Wally New England IPA and Winter Ale, according to their Facebook page. But visiting the brewery is even better since you get the full range of beers they have.

When you walk in from the parking lot, you pass the shop where you can buy all sorts of Wachusett Brewing Company gear, like sweatshirts, hats and such. Beyond that is a room that has the growler fill, if you want to bring some brews home. To the left is the entrance to the new "Brew Yard," a large indoor space that has plenty of table seating, as well as stools at a cool silvery bar made from an Airstream travel trailer that they've named "Wally."

Since this was our first trip to the brewery, my daughter Kate and her husband, James, and I all decided to order flights of four small glasses of beer. On one side of the menu are the beers that are also available elsewhere; on the other are seasonal beers that are only available at the brewery.

I ordered all from the brewery-only side of the menu, since I figured I wanted to try beers you can't taste elsewhere. My choices were Winter, a 6.8 percent alcohol by volume (ABV) malty American brown ale; Beaver Moon, a 4.7 ABV wheat ale made with Belgian yeast and oak flakes, with a light citrusy flavor; A Wee Heavy Christmas, a Scotch ale brewed with fresh juniper berries and spruce tips that came in at 8.8 percent ABV; and Wicked Hoppy, a flowery India pale ale with an ABV of 5.6 percent. The Wee Heavy Christmas had a really interesting depth of flavor, and I think I could sit and sip the Winter by the fire on another cold evening. My favorite was the Beaver Moon that had an appealing light color with a slight cloudiness, so you can probably tell my taste runs toward a lighter, less hoppy beer. When we ordered more, the refreshing Beaver Moon, served with a slice of orange, was my choice.

We also ordered some food from the outdoor food truck, which is connected by a tent-like tunnel to the indoor space. Poutine was made with tiny slivers of potato, a minimal amount of cheese curds and some fairly tasty gravy. And the pretzel with beer cheese we ordered was huge. They give you a buzzer to tell you when the food is ready and deliver it to your seat, which was convenient, but neither the poutine nor the pretzel were hot when they arrived.

The indoor Beer Yard features a pool table and shuffleboard table, and there were plenty of people enjoying a game or two. The atmosphere was really fun, with some nice tunes playing but not so loud you can't carry on a conversation. We will definitely go back for another round.

Nancy Olesin is the Daily News arts and entertainment editor. Follow her on Twitter @WickedLocalArts or like the Wicked Local Arts Facebook page. Norman Miller, The Beer Nut, will be back next week.